Buried For Far Longer: The Founders Of Hogwarts
by DaisyGatsby
Summary: Rowena Ravenclaw is betrothed to Godric Gryffindor. Salazar Slitherin has loved her from afar. A story taking place long before that of Harry and Voldemort. A secret buried for far longer than that of the Chamber of Secrets.
1. Intro

In centuries past, in the days when the Triwizard Tournament was merely in the planning stages as a game, when the founders of Hogwarts were simply rowdy teenagers having lives of their own.

When they were the best of friends. And at times, the harshest of enemies.

Before the days of Salazar's Slitherins brutal opinions of how a school should be run, they were adolescents, in a world all their own, making it seem never ending.

Before the serious and brave Godric Gryffindor had a hollow and a house named after him, he had a girlfriend and enemies just like any other normal teenager.

And before shy, sweet Helga Hufflepuff was finally included in the plan for a school...

Rowena Ravenclaw had a story all her own, that barely anybody tells anymore.

A story not of Voldemort and Harry Potter, but of the most infamous of origins, and of her love affair with _Salazar Slitherin._

Of course, everyone leaves that part out of the textbooks frequently subject to Hermione Granger's reading.

It's the secret buried for far longer than the secret behind the Chamber of Secrets.

Ready to be told in its truest form.

_As Rowena would have wanted it._


	2. Un

_"This is madness, Salazar."_

_"Is it? Or are you mad yourself, and do not wish to recognize it? Are you mad for loving a madman?" He asked, grabbing my hands violently and pulling me closer. The Chamber of Secrets our setting, our hearts desires our dialouge, and our tragedy._

Even on my deathbed, I will continue to remember those last words he spoke to me.

As I do recall the day I was in the local pub, exactly one evening after receiving the letter from Godric that I must meet him there as soon as possible.

"Godric, how fine to see you again!" I called with open arms to my childhood sweetheart.

He was in a window seat with a man I did not recognize.

He had thick, course black and brown hair. It fell past his shoulders elegantly.

Long dark green robes and an expression which told me he thought of himself very highly.

Godric pulled me into a sweeping hug and lifted me off of the ground. He had grown into a much burlier man than I remembered him.

"Come, sit Rowena. I must discuss very important matters with you and Salazar."

_Oh my word. Its it really...him?_

_No, it isn't._

_Oh how I remembered him._

_Very fondly indeed._

I smiled and took my place with Godric and Salazar, he curled his lips into what could have been called a smile when I sat across from him. It was sly, almost wolfy. I looked away.

But thats getting ahead of myself, thats long after we had come of age and were all nearly 30.

I believe it wiser, to start earlier.

When we were on the edge of adults, nearly eighteen and counting down the days, when everything was much simpler in the wizarding world.

We were all home schooled, as all wizard children were in the days before Hogwarts, and we had never known anything better, so we never questioned it.

But then there was brilliant Godric, and his ideas would lead to the finest Wizarding School of all time.

We knew of the muggles and muggleborns, we were quite fine with them, as long as the muggleborns didnt hint at our world and the muggles didn't struggle against it.

But then there was Salazar, he was a boy, becoming a man, who was to become buried deep in his ancestry, that he forgot how to live, but he would try to change life by force.

_'It does not do to dwell on dreams, and forget to live.'_

Salazar had his own dreams for the wizarding world, and sought to make them so.

He failed miserably, until eventually, his own hatred consumed him and one day would make his heir, the most ruthless and powerful wizard of all time.

**Tom Marvolo Riddle.**

But of course, the days of our youth were uncomplicated days, the first weeks of Godric's plan for Hogwarts, the days when Godric spent most of his days designing and Salazar spent most of his planning.

Whist Helga and I used up lazy summer afternoons with the boys, and wondering how life would be as headmistresses. Only joking of course, at first, we never believed the four of us would actually pull it off.

"Rowena love, pass me the blueprints." Godric asked politely.

We were 17 and had just begun dating, much to Salazar's apparent, unbridled fury.

"Sure." I said handing him his own drawn up rough draft of the 'Gryffindor Common Room' as he called it.

Helga giggled and tucked a stray strand of tawny blonde hair behind her ear.

"He's planning on building a school, but he can barely teach you to get your head out of the books, and be a lady." She giggled madly into my ear.

"You wouldn't know what he's taught me." I defended, earning a smile from Godric, who had been listening the whole time. "And does being a lady require being ignorant?"

"Oh you would know, Rowena, being quite the dazzling student.." He complemented, flashing a grin at his blushing girlfriend.

"Yes, I believe she is." Came a rough, low voice from the front flap of the tent/home we had set up in the middle of a wooded area to hang out and 'plan' in peace.

Salazar had finally made it.

"Tis' time already! I owled you nearly two hours ago!" Helga complained.

"Forgive me Rowena; you're looking particularly lovely this evening." He added, holding a gaze to me.

Godric shot him a glare whilst I looked away in embarrassment.

"I believe that's my job there Salazar." He growled.

They had been tenser at the thought of each other since I had accepted Godric's hand for courting me. He was pureblooded, as was I and so, our families had us intended from the start. But Salazar was looked down upon by my family for his lack of ambition. That is, until the school planning started, then he became intensely intrigued. He desperately wanted it to be a private school, only pure bloods allowed. But Helga and Godric were not in favor of that, they believed all should have a chance at toning their skills they've had since birth, pure or not.

I was indifferent.

Mother had not raised me to have hate towards muggleborns, but I respected Salazar's views.

This had turned Godric's and Salazar's relationship sour, that point on. It had soured even more when Godric began to court me, as Salazar had his heart set on myself. I hadn't known that until a certain point in time, which was a part of our beginning.

So, I'll move on.

"I was merely pointing out how strikingly beautiful Rowena is, have you any argument against it Godric?"

Godric said nothing of protest; he simply went back to his studies.

Salazar glanced my way, but only for a moment. I took this as my leaving opportunity.

"Godric?" I called from halfway outside.

"Yes, love?" he called back.

"I'll be going home. I am weary and its getting late. Mother won't be pleased, you know this." I informed.

"Fine, may your travels be safe!"

"As may yours."

On my way through the forest, a raven cawed darkly in the distance, but somehow I was at ease for it.

"Rowena, wait." I heard Salazar behind me.

"You're supposed to be back at the tent." I stated, obviously.

"I told Godric I was going to fetch more prints."

"This holds no interest for me. I must be going." I told him, putting my hood up and turning to go.

I was more than 10 paces away when I heard him.

"I want to tell you...I've held you in my heart for far longer than he has."

I stopped, turned a bit, and then thought it unwise to look him in the eyes.

So I stepped off again.

I heard a loud crack and with the reassurance that he was gone, I started off for home again.


	3. Duos

"As long as we're engaged Rowena, I don't want you speaking with Salazar."

Godric told me one morning when we were alone in the tent, Helga and Salazar hadn't shown up yet.

I knew his intentions were pure, as Salazar's were not. He intended to win me from Godric. Salazar was power hungry and set on having what he wanted. He wanted those around him to give their everything to him, because thats what he saw fit. He felt he was better, more deserving. His false sense of entitlement was his motivation.

And as much as I hated that part of him, it was what intrigued me about Salazar, he was different. I couldn't read him like I could Godric.

Godric was a fine man, with great potential.

But he was too predictable, and not knowing exactly who Salazar was, or what he was, encited me to want to be his. I was an intelligant woman, and I had realized that it did not benefit me to leave Godric for Salazar. Godric could nearly be the perfect husband, and falling for Salazar could bring great sorrow. We were on our way to coming of age, and things were changing everyday. It could only do me good to simply push him away, and fall into Godric's hands.

My place, where I belonged.

And so when Godric forebade me from conversing with Salazar, I obliged.

"I won't Godric; you know my heart is with you." I said unperturbedly.

"You've given me your word. And a lady's word is her honor." His honeysuckle eyes bore into mine with crushing seriousness.

"Indeed." I had almost forgotten to breathe.

He broke his gaze, nodded and looked down at his hand drawn design for 'The Great Hall'

"That's a fine name for it, Godric." I told him sweetly.

"It is, isn't it?!" He became very excited when I came to the school plans; it was his way of making a change for the better in our world. But before long, he began to ramble and to be frank, it could not longer hold my interest.

At that moment, Helga came sweeping in, dressed in coral pink robes, her silken ochre ringlets bouncing in her wake. It was quite sunny, and her porcelain skin seemed to glow, Helga was a living doll.

"Good day to you Godric, and to you Rowena. Still planning are we?" Her breathy voice mused.

"Yes Helga, if you'll just have a seat, we can discuss the point system." Godric replied, anxiously.

"Oh...of course. I'll return in a moment, I have to see to some things." And with that she scurried from the tent, back out into the breezy woods.

The sun was high and it was a perfect day for swimming in the waterfall connected lake beside the rock formations in the hollow.

There was no doubt in your mind thats where she was going.

"She doesn't believe you'll do it, Godric, she says its a waste of our time and youth." I commented looking up whist I twirled a strand of my russet hair around my finger.

"It isn't, my dove. Trust me, I can finish this school, and when you're alongside me as headmistress, you'll curse Helga for ever doubting me."

I smiled, touching my palm to his cheek adoringly.

"Come now, Godric, have a break from your planning, and come to the hollow with us. We can have a swim in the lake." I told him, wrapping a delicate arm around his muscular one, trying to pick him up from his chair.

"I can't Rowena. If I stop now, I'll lose my creativity for the day. You go on without me, swim with Helga."

I frowned. "Fine Godric, but do try and have some fun before you're old and gray." I added, with a sarcastic laugh.

I could hear his soft chuckles as I apparated to the hollows.

The sunbeams were warm on my skin and magnificent to the sight in the hollows that would one day be named after Godric. I sprinted over to the rock formations, where just beyond them; I could hear laughter and water splashing.

Helga and Salazar were in the lake, playing like a couple of otters.

I used a bird call to get their attention. It was a robin call, one I had been practicing.

Helga's head of curls was dampened till they were mousy flat.

Her wet head spun around as she found where the sound had come from, her eyes rested on me.

"Oh! Rowena! Come on!" Helga called, as Salazar simply stared up at me, eyes unblinking as if he wanted to burn my image into his mind.

Behind the rock, I pulled off my robes and clothes, until I was clad in a white cotton under-dress. I looked up bashfully, only to lock eyes with Salazar once more.

Nervously, I left my robes on the rock and made a mad dash to the lake where I placed a foot in, yelping with shock at the nearly freezing water.

"Stop being a prat and come in!" she yelled.

"Hold it Helga! I'm- oomph!"

I lost my balance on the bank and fell face first into the water.

"Oh, very graceful you are now, darling." I could hear Salazar mocking as I came up from the water.

"Merlin's beard! It's like ice!" I screamed, jumping madly around in the water, Helga and Salazar roaring with laughter.

"This isn't funny you ugly gits!" I turned, flipping my hair around my shoulder as I went to climb up over the bank.

As I struggled against the current, I could feel a commotion in the water below me. The next I knew, I was being turbulently dragged under the cold clear water.

I could feel dozens, possibly hundreds of tiny little arms and legs, pulling me down until I was completely submerged. I struggled against their attack, which made them persist.

Unthinkingly, using all the breath I had in me, I screamed and screamed, watching the bubbles rise to the top of the water.

But it wasn't heard.

-

I sputtered, coughed violently and then gasped deeply.

"Oh thank Merlin!" Helga shrieked, placing her hands around my face, lovingly.

My under-dress was stuck to my skin, which was whitened from hypothermia.

"Helga...fetch Godric...now." I managed to wheeze through my blue lips.

She jumped up, and promised me she'd be back.

Salazar kneeled by my side, to which I tried to stand.

"No, stay down. You need to regain your strength, love."

"Tell me what happened..." I stopped to breathe- "...in the water." I spoke, regaining what little voice I had in me.

"Yes, of course." He started, helping me up and propping me up against a large rock.

My legs were sliced and bruised, bloodied from the tiny animalistic hands that tore at me, bringing me down into the water.

I could remember that much, at least.

"The little buggers...there were grindylows, they attacked you. I saved you. A little spell called Reducto..." He said grinning, kissing my forehead.

I pulled my face away, earning a sigh of dissapointment from him.

He pulled out his wand and lifted one of my legs, muttering some healing charm. My leg tingled, became warm, and when I looked down at it, the scratches were gone. One leg comepletely healed. As I watched, he began to do the same with the other one.

"Thank you..." I breathed out.

He took my hand and kissed it.

I took it back, frowning.

"You're welcome, love." He fixed his gaze onto my eyes.

"Salazar..." I gasped, and coughed. "..stop it, please."

"I'm sorry to upset you. I just wanted to-" He stopped speaking when he heard a loud pop, and saw Godric running with Helga by his side.

"Rowena! What has happened, are you hurt?!" For the first time, in all the years I had known him, Godric's voice was fearful.

I looked up at him, light shone around his face and he looked somehow angelic, as he kneeled by my side.

I closed my eyes and then looked over at Salazar, he looked so dark and beautiful; I would never let on that I thought so of him.

I took in a breath and looked over at Godric again, "No. I'm...fine, Godric. Would you...escort me home?"

"Of course." Godric said sweetly, picking me up.

Before we apparated to my home, I turned my head, using nearly all the strength I had left, and saw the disheartened look on Salazar's face.


End file.
